InternationalYerevan NGOs unite in a sea of red ribbons on World AIDS Day
Published: Saturday December 06, 2008
Decked out in a giant red ribbon, a volunteer spreads a message of awareness to passersby in Yerevan on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2008.
Yerevan - Human rights activism is certainly in the air in Yerevan these days. On December 1, just a week after the demonstration for the elimination of violence against women, a large group comprising a cooperative effort of several organizations gathered to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. December 1 is World AIDS Day, and while the demonstration that took place in Yerevan on that day may not compare in size or scale to some of the events that took place around the world, its effectiveness was apparent.
The afternoon's events consisted of a march, during which volunteers handed out information brochures to passersby and stopped by the ministries of health and education to deliver letters urging the Armenian government to play a more active role in educating the public about AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections and in eliminating discrimination against HIV-positive people. After the march, participants headed to Avantgarde Folk Music Club for presentations, films and a rock concert.
Participating organizations included the Women's Resource Center, Armenian Red Cross, Real World Real People (an NGO primarily concerned with providing care and support for people living with HIV in Armenia) and PINK Armenia (Public Information and Need for Knowledge).
"The biggest misperception is that AIDS is not an Armenian problem," said Mamikon Hovsepyan, president of PINK Armenia, "So a lot of discrimination stems from that." But AIDS does not discriminate - not on the basis of race, age, gender, or sexual orientation. In recent years, the number of HIV-positive people in Armenia has been steadily increasing and there is a growing problem among migrant workers who return to Armenia, only to infect their wives, and subsequently their children, with HIV. While the work of the organizations that took place in Monday's demonstration is highly commendable, it's up to the Armenian government to address the issue of HIV and AIDS in Armenia, to ensure that sexual education is implemented in the school system, and to provide accessible healthcare to people living with HIV.
